A woman and child were killed Wednesday in a snowmobiling incident near Golden, B.C., according to RCMP.

Officers were called to a backcountry area called the North Bench, northwest of Golden, just after noon.

A 30-year-old woman and 11-year-old girl both died. RCMP said they are both from Miami, Florida.

According to the Rocky Mountain Riders, a snowmobile tour and rental company, the pair was part of its guided tour. The company said they had given everyone their safety briefing and the group members were all wearing helmets.

“It’s an incredible sport. It can be done incredibly safely [and] it should be because you should never snowmobile outside of your capability or the terrain,” Scott Kjarsgaard with the Calgary Snowmobile Club said.

He explained the machine should be selected based on the rider’s experience and the particular terrain.

“Most trail machines are much heavier… and they’re built for comfort and ride.”

Kjarsgaard said riders should be aware of the tour company’s safety protocols before heading out on a trail.

“You should be fully briefed and aware of the safety protocols of the tour you’re on… and they follow to mitigate most everything that could come up, but nature is not perfect as we know.”